What does it mean to say that human beings are created in the image of God? (original) (raw)
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Imago Dei: An Exegetical and Theological Reappraisal. In: ET Studies -10 (2019/2), p. 183-206
The godlikeness of human beings remains a theologoumenon of primary importance from the first page of the Bible, especially now in our post-human age with its strong tendency to embrace promising technologies (artificial intelligence and robotics) even at the expense of our own humanity. This state of affairs calls for a clearer understanding of human identity and a sound ethical response through the retelling of the normative biblical concept of the 'image of God'. The thesis of this article consists in a consideration of the entire phrase 'God created man in his image' in Genesis 1:26-28 as a metaphorical and theocentric phrase with demonstratively meaningful content. It employs the relational concept of an extended human reality. In light of recent exegesis, the 'image of God' in Gen 1:26-27 should be seen as a signifier of human life under God, rather than a single determining characteristic or essential attribute. After exegetical and contextual readings of Gen 1:27 I will evaluate three major interpretative approaches to the 'image of God in human-ity'. In this evaluation we will see that theologians have preferred substantialist (e.g., image as soul or mind) or relational interpretations (e.g., image as relational personhood) and Old Testament scholars have preferred functional interpretations (e.g., image as kingly dominion). I outline their respective (in)consistencies in light of the meaning of the ancient text and its extended biblical context. At the end, I offer some suggestions for applying a more complete conceptualization of the 'image of God' to ethical practice.
The human person as imago dei: christian and jewish perspectives
2014
This thesis explores the evolution of the biblical concept of imago Dei. Written from the perspective of Christian theology, the thesis engages select Jewish and Christian voices in analysis of the shared theological premise that the human person is created in the image of God The discussion will begin with the scriptural origins of the concept, drawing upon exegetical interpretations as well as the early perspectives of the Rabbinic and Patristic period. It will then offer a comparative account of the contributions of Maimonides and Aquinas, in their intellectualist conceptions of human distinctiveness. From there, the discussion will turn to the Christological appropriation of the concept in work of Karl Barth and then to the covenantal, dialogical interpretation of David Novak. In both of these thinkers, we will observe a rejection of the intellectualism of Aquinas and Maimonides in favour of relational interpretations which are, in their integrative understanding of the person a...
Classical approaches to the doctrine of the imago Dei have tended to postulate a distinctive element of the human being not found in other creatures, with the possible exception of angels. It is argued that this approach is now discredited not merely for its findings, but for its methodology. Following recent exegesis, it is proposed that the imago Dei in Genesis 1: 26-27 should be seen as a signifier of human life under God that is narrated in different ways in other parts of Scripture. And following the wisdom literature, the imago Dei can be understood as represented by human beings over long periods of evolutionary history in their characteristic quotidian forms of life. This is to be also to be more clearly differentiated from the Christ-centred eschatological use of the concept in the New Testament. Here the argument draws upon the recent work of David Kelsey in theological anthropology. Through description rather than definition, the imago Dei can signify the providential ordering of human life everywhere, but not through being over-determined or isolated in its initial appearance in Genesis 1.
IMAGO DEI IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY: THE VARIOUS APPROACHES
The doctrine of the image of God has received a lot of attention throughout the history of Christianity. Though the texts which affirm this doctrine are very minimal, and the exact meaning of the phrase " image and likeness of God " is often obscure, this affirmation is central to crucial anthropological affirmations. The purpose of this paper is to trace the interpretation of the imago Dei in Christian theology, looking first at the three dominant approaches (the substantialist, the relational, and the royal functional approaches), then the other noteworthy interpretations as a way of introducing the reader to the various approaches to this doctrine. Thus, the intention is not to interpret the imago texts but to highlight the various proposals given. Therefore, this paper is exploratory in nature. It does not critique the various views but presents them as they are for purposes of references for readers who are looking for relevant literature or key figures of each view. The presentation is not chronological but thematic. The paper explores seven views of the image of God that have been proposed.
Analiza i Egzystencja, 2023
Image as a philosophical concept has a long and complex history that begins as early as antiquity. Christian scholars included it in their philosophical studies in the form of imago Dei. In this paper, I analyzed the works of St. Thomas Aquinas to determine the anthropological consequences that follow from the idea of human creation in the image of God. I first establish that humans as beings created in the image of God participate through their intellect in God's nature. I then present three stages of human participation in God. Subsequently, I defend the classical theory of Aquinas against contemporary reinterpretation of his thought. I argue that Aquinas rightly claims that only the intellectual part of the human soul is, strictly speaking, created in God's Image, while the human body (and other irrational creatures) resembles God in the likeness of a trace.
The Image of God in Man : A Critique of the Substantive View By
2015
Thesis Statement The Bible teaches that man was made in the image of God, therefore as God’s image bearers it is important to understand the nature of that status. While the substantive interpretation of God’s image in man (imago Dei) is not specifically affirmed in Scripture, and it is only one of the three traditional conceptions about the image of God in mankind, it is the most fundamental of these views. Introduction The Bible teaches in Genesis 1:26 that God made man in his own image. On its face this is a very important subject, but strangely, there are only a few references to this in the Old Testament. Kenneth Gardoski observes that in theological studies the more sparse the biblical information on a particular subject, the more theories are advanced to explain it. Such is the case with the subject of the image of God in man (imago Dei). As important as this subject is to our understanding of man’s relationship to God, there are only three Old Testament references (Gen 1:26-...
Creativity: Understanding Man as the Imago Dei (Theology Thesis)
A good summary of the Catholic doctrine on Creation is found in this section of the book. The main point of this section reveals that creation is a relationship and a participation with the Divine Being. It further states that Creation Out of Nothing is a profound way to express the idea of the vision of a relationship between God and the world. It also reviews the concept of cause and effect in the works of St. Thomas, saying that creation is an emanation from the Universal and Efficient Cause which effects creatures. This argument resolves the Augustinian reaction on emanation (which conflicts with the doctrine of Creation Form Nothing), stating that creatures need not be equals of God through emanation, but rather complete effects of a cause. These thoughts are of great help for the second chapter of this work. This part of the book which deals on the systematic theology about creation effectively presents a historical overview of the development of doctrine of Creation in the Roman Catholic perspective. Anne Clifford surveys this progress by taking into account the notion of creation in the bible, to the history of the Church, and contemporary applications of the doctrine with Science and Technology. The author presents the work in a chronological consideration of notions, concepts and theological opinions on Creation. She presents a rather comprehensive, but not much of analysis and comparison, of creation. The work is extensive and presents many presuppositions about theology and science. Only the part considering the development of the doctrine in the history of the Church will be considered, in comparison to the author's exhaustive approach. Fichtner, Joseph. Man the Image of God. New York: Alba House, 1978. This book presents the concept of the image of God in relation to the covenant of Yahweh and Israel. Apart from the biblical theme, it also presents the concept of the image of God according to early Christian writings. Fichtner traces the origin of the development of early Christian Anthropology by taking into consideration the patterns of thought that were prevalent at that part of history. He points out that the early discourses about Christian Anthropology were a product of the reaction against Greek paganistic thought. Also, he considers the view of St. Thomas Aquinas and other scholastics. The fundamental concept presented by the author is that man's destiny is to be like Christ, the perfect image of God, who reconciled Divine and human nature in himself and continues to make man more and more like the image of God by the action of the Holy Spirit. The author presents a straightforward approach at dealing with the concept of Imago Dei. His historical presentation of the development of the concept is simple and a clear-cut treatment of facts from original sources and historical accounts. There is not much of analysis in his work; just a laying-down of the things one needs to know. This book is used in the third chapter of the work and is used as a source for the historical treatment of the concept of the imago Dei. Hontiveros, Eduardo. "Man as the Image of God", The Creator: A textbook in Theological Anthropology, Loyola School of Theology Textbook Series. Quezon City: Loyola School of Theology, 1998. This textbook contains chapters dealing with man as the image of God, Creation and the Creator and the purpose and Freedom of Creation. It emphasizes that basic tenet of faith that man is the image of God which is his highest dignity. To be the image of God is to be in a relationship with God himself. It puts forth that the significance of this O"Meara, Thomas. Thomas Aquinas: Theologian. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1997. O'Meara provides a commentary on the ideas of St. Thomas Aquinas. The Third part of the book deals with the theological world of Aquinas and is rather a good summary of it. The first section of this part of the work presents the first of Thomas' major themes: that is, God. The author reiterates that God is ever present as he is mirrored by the beauty of creation, and He can only be confined to our limited understanding by analogy. God is the excellence of all the perfections we see in the world. It also discusses and comments on creation and the choice of man as the image of God. Man, it says, is a receptacle of grace and holiness. He is a reminder that the goal of faith and religion is perfection or beauty. This chapter of this book is used in almost all personality by means of it. 241 Art speaks to us. No wonder people can stand or sit in front of a museum painting for hours at a time, listening to and recognizing what the artist wishes to reveal in his artwork. Beauty reveals! And much more for religious art, beauty serves the eternal Beauty by way of revelation. -Beautiful art is also a sacred word in its own right, a direct mediation of encounter with God,‖ 242 says Viladesau. Just as words mediate our communication and reveal our thoughts to others, beauty can lead us to the Divine.
The Image of God and Moral Action: Challenging the Practicality of the Imago Dei
Studies in Christian Ethics, 2016
This article poses a challenge to the assumption that all conceptions of the imago Dei are practical, meaning that they can coherently provide a guide for human action. The article identifies three criteria for practicality and applies them to two accounts of the imago, one in the thought of the twentieth-century theologian Helmut Thielicke, the other in the Roman Catholic tradition. It argues that Thielicke's account of the imago, which forms the basis for what he calls 'alien dignity', fails to meet the criteria of practicality, and thus cannot serve as an adequate guide for action. In contrast, the account of the imago and human dignity in the Roman Catholic tradition does meet the criteria. This comparison, the article concludes, ultimately helps provide a means of assessing diverse theological interpretations of the imago and their value for supporting a morally useful conception of human worth.